The plan to build 30 years of Metro transit projects in 10 years — conceived by L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa — gets unanimous backing at the U.S. Conference of Mayors. It’s just a symbolic resolution, but the 30/10 Initiative will need the backing of cities and states across the country in order to win approval from Congress. That is, whenever Congress gets around to tackling the next transportation spending bill.

The New York MTA is beginning its test of contact-free fare payment in which enabled credit cards can be held in front of a card reader on turnstile machines. Customers who sign up for a fare program through Mastercard pay the same fares as those with MetroCards, the current fare cards used by the MTA.

The $328-million project will connect the carpool lanes on the 405, 605 and 22 freeways, allowing for more seamless drives for those who buddy up. The entire project is scheduled to be complete in 2014.

After being denied federal funds to build a connection to the Oakland airport, the agency was told it didn’t do enough to inform riders — particularly low-income and minority passengers — what a possible fare hike and service change would mean for them. As a result, the agency embarked on a massive and somewhat costly outreach effort.

With that other oil spill garnerning most of the headlines, a 20,000-gallon spill from a burst pipeline in the mountains above Salt Lake City resulted in about 300 birds being coated with oil. Chevron, not BP, is responsible for this one.